Newport County

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Newport County's character has come in for praise as they go in search for a second win of the season.

The Exiles, with a revamped squad, lost their opening League Two fixture at Cheltenham Town before a heavy EFL Trophy defeat at Leyton Orient.

Conceding in their first home outing of the season against Doncaster Rovers prompted worries of more of the same, only for County to come back to win 3-1 courtesy of eye-catching strikes from Bobby Kamwa, Kai Whitmore and Matt Baker.

It sealed a maiden win for new head coach Nelson Jardim, who former Wales strikers Iwan Roberts and Sam Vokes say will have been relieved at the turnaround as they prepare to welcome Accrington Stanley.

Hailing Newport's resolve on the latest Feast of Football podcast, Roberts said: "Having gone to Leyton Orient and got well and truly thumped, and with Doncaster having taken 33 points from their previous 12 games, I thought it was a bad time (for Newport) to play them.

"But the character and spirit that Cardiff lacked at Burnley, fair play to the Newport boys."

Wycombe frontman Vokes added: "It was probably a bit of relief (for Jardim), especially going in 1-0 down at half-time when you never know when that happens at home after losing the first game, questions are asked.

"But it was a great result, a great home win with some great goals; what a finish from Kai Whitmore. They looked strong in the second half."

Accrington arrive at Rodney Parade without a win from their opening two games, suffering a 4-1 defeat at Doncaster before conceding in injury-time to draw 3-3 with Harrogate Town.

Roberts said: "Defensively Accrington aren't great. It's another good chance to get points on the board."

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Newport County are targeting back-to-back home wins this weekend - with Nelson Jardim's new-look side hoping to take inspiration from the past.

Fresh on the back of the eye-catching 3-1 win over Doncaster, County and their string of new faces welcome winless Accrington to Rodney Parade.

With home fans hoping to celebrate a second win in as many games, the club will also be celebrating some faces from the past with several members of the club's players and staff from their instrumental return to life in 1989.

It is 35 years ago since the original Ironsides collapsed and were reformed as Newport AFC, playing in the lowly Hellenic League.

With the club unable to play home fixtures at their traditional ground of Somerton Park (above), the 'new' club were forced to play games in Gloucestershire at Moreton-in-Marsh. With fans having to travel 90 miles for 'home' games, hence the Exiles nickname was born.

It took 25 years for Newport to return to the Football League, and County will mark 35 years since the rebirth by inviting a number of the squad who won promotion in their first season - including manager John Relish - to their hospitality for Saturday's fixture.

Also at the game will be assistant manager Graham Rogers, physio Tony Gilbert, current County in the Community chief and former player Norman Parselle, as well as teammates Chris Stanton, Mike Pratt, Richie Willis, Rob Painter, Paul Mallender, Barrie Vassallo, Dave Jarvis and Chris Lilygreen.

Rob Phillips
BBC Wales Football Correspondent

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Barcelona star Raphinha, England midfielder Kalvin Phillips and former Newport County assistant Dino Maamria do not appear to have much in common.

But all can lay claim to having an influence on the career of Newport’s flying winger Bobby Kamwa.

Cameroon-born Kamwa made an immediate impact at Rodney Parade last Saturday, with his super strike putting Nelson Jardim’s side on their way to a stunning 3-1 League Two comeback victory over Doncaster Rovers.

The 24-year-old flyer was one of Newport’s 13 summer recruits, after being released by League One Burton Albion.

And he said: “I am on my journey to get back to where I think I should be.”

Kamwa began his football journey in the Leeds academy at the age of nine.

Further down the line, he would keep a close eye on Leeds winger Raphinha, one of a number of stars with whom Kamwa rubbed shoulders.

“I was in a group with Crysencio Summerville, Sam Greenwood and Joe Gelhardt. It was a great academy and created a lot of great players," he said.

“When I was there I would look up to the likes of Raphinha. When I used to train with the first team he was the one I would look up to and he has gone on to great things.

“The likes of Kalvin Phillips as well who came through the academy - we had great role models.”

Newport fans will believe Kamwa learned good lessons from those contemporaries, especially Brazil's Raphinha, given their new winger's desire to run at defenders.

Kamwa caught the eye in the 3-2 defeat at Cheltenham Town on the opening day before capping an impressive performance with a goal on home debut.

So where does Maamria enter the Kamwa story?

The Tunisian-born coach was assistant to Graham Westley in his troubled spell at Newport, before their departure in 2017 heralded Mike Flynn’s return as boss and the so-called 'Great Escape' from relegation that season.

Maamria was in charge at Burton when Kamwa joined them in 2022.

Kamwa said: “When I signed it was Dino who gave me the opportunity to play at Burton.

“I was there for two years. We managed to stay up last season, it was an all right season. But people have to move on.

“That is what I am trying to do. I am on a path to strive for better.”

Newport host Accrington Stanley this Saturday, with Kamwa hoping for another chance to impress.

“The attraction [coming here] was the owners, the manager and the project they had and how they see the club going forward," he added.

"The project is really exciting. They are just trying to renew everything and I have a feeling there is something good going to happen at this place."

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Newport County head coach Nelson Jardim says he won’t be tied to one playing formation in the quest to win games.

After opening the season with two defeats, Jardim opted to play with three centre backs and wing backs for Saturday’s rousing 3-1 League Two win over highly fancied Doncaster Rovers.

The formation change paid off handsomely with his first competitive victory as boss.

“We are always assessing the players we have available," Jardim said.

“We have a couple of injuries as well. I just felt this would be the best and the boys did well.”

The former Swans coach was thrilled to open his account in his first game at Rodney Parade, but made it clear he is not rooted to one system of playing.

“One of the jobs of any coach is to make sure they see where the player can perform best and I felt this was this right way," Jardim said.

“I am not afraid to do whatever it needs to make sure the players enjoy, they play well and we see the team building on the style we want to play."

Kai Whitmore scored a spectacular goal in Newport’s second half revival and has praised the influence of Jardim.

Jardim was delighted for the former Haverfordwest player on his Football League debut.

“He fully deserves it," added Jardim, "I am so happy he could get the goal and help the team.

“Kai just showed what he can do, he plays his football, he is a very committed and very helpful player who can play in different positions.

"He competes, that is the main thing, and obviously it was a great goal, that inspirational moment, especially for me watching from the bench."

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Midfielder Kai Whitmore has praised Nelson Jardim’s “positive” approach but says it will take time for the head coach to make his mark at Newport County.

Whitmore was on target as County recorded their win of the season on Saturday, a notable 3-1 success against Doncaster Rovers in League Two.

The 23-year-old joined the Exiles from Cymru Premier side Haverfordwest County in June.

And Whitmore has praised Jardim, who took over in the summer following Graham Coughlan's departure.

“He’s really good, really positive, good to the lads and trying to build a new form of play," said Whitmore.

"It’s just going to take time - hopefully everyone gets it going."

Whitmore scored a spectacular goal as Newport toppled a Doncaster side who have been touted as promotion contenders this season.

“It was great to start my first game, a debut at Rodney Parade, and even better to grab a goal and get man of the match," he added.

“Obviously a late goal at Cheltenham [on the opening weekend of the season] put a bad feel around the place so it was great to get a win.

“It’s a big step in level but I’m just going to take it game by game."

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Head coach Nelson Jardim will not be the only member of the family involved in Newport County’s League Two home clash with Doncaster Rovers.

Jardim’s son Francisco will also have a walk-on role in the first game of the season at Rodney Parade.

Eight-year-old Francisco will be flying the Newport flag, helping to lead the players on to the pitch as a mascot.

His father says the whole occasion will be one of pride for the Jardim family as he takes charge in front of the Newport faithful for the first time since being appointed to his first managerial post in the EFL during the summer.

“It is a big day, I am really looking forward to it," said Jardim.

“I am looking forward to feeling [the atmosphere]. It is going to be a very important game for me.”

Jardim is keen to claim his first competitive win as Newport boss.

His new side were beaten 3-2 at Cheltenham on the opening day and tumbled to a 4-1 defeat at Leyton Orient in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

Jardim said: “I know [the fans] have been suffering a lot and unfortunately we could not give them that win which, at some points I felt we deserved, at Cheltenham.

"Hopefully this will be the game where we go back to the wins, that would be very good for everyone.”

Doncaster finished last season with a flourish, surging to the top seven thanks to an 11-game unbeaten run – which included 10 wins – before falling to Crewe Alexandra in the play-offs.

They started this campaign with a comprehensive 4-1 League Two home win over Accrington Stanley and eased into the second round of the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 triumph at Salford in midweek.

In contrast, Newport have lost their last 10 competitive outings having finished last term with eight consecutive defeats.

Jardim feels his side need to improve on the “ugly” side of the game and revealed the players have not had a day off this week in preparation for Doncaster.

He said: “They are a very, very good team but we have prepared for the game quite well.

“Doncaster will be difficult and tough but that’s a good challenge for us. If we can beat them the energy will be even better. I know the boys are determined to give that performance and win for the fans.”

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Newport County are ready to add more players to their squad before the summer transfer window closes in two weeks' time.

The League Two club drafted in 13 players during the close season.

But head coach Nelson Jardim says chairman Huw Jenkins and his recruitment team are seeking further additions.

The need for more recruits has intensified with striker Hamza Kargbo set to have shoulder surgery and likely to be sidelined for three months.

“We are working hard in this club to make sure we find the right player," said Jardim.

"There are a lot of players wanting to come here and work with us, that is a positive.

“But we have to make sure the ones that come are the right ones.”

The transfer window closes at 23:00 BST on Friday, 30 August and Jardim expects the usual late flurry of activity in the market.

"In British football it is always a busy final week, a final day I would say, or a final hour why not," he added.

“Obviously we are ready, we know what we want. It's just a question of making the right decisions.

"This situation with Hamza will make us think better about what we can do in the final week.

“I would say one or two will do it but obviously if the right opportunity comes around and it is the right player then why not three. We are assessing everything.”

Jenkins will spearhead the hunt for talent and Jardim says the former Swansea City chairman is busy behind the scenes.

“I have spoken to Huw, we are always in contact. He is working hard, very hard every day with his team," he added.

“There is a good connection with everyone. We know what we want and we have a clear idea of what type of player we want to bring in.”

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Newport County manager Nelson Jardim described his team's defensive displays as "an ugly problem" following their 4-1 loss to Leyton Orient in the EFL Cup first round.

Tuesday's defeat to the League One side followed last weekend's 3-2 loss at Cheltenham Town in their League Two season opener.

Jardim made six changes for the cup game, but the Exiles have now conceded seven goals in the season's opening two fixtures.

"We could see today (Tuesday) that we are trying to build something but we have a problem we need to address on the defensive side of the game," Jardim told BBC Radio London.

"It's an ugly problem that we need to address, especially after conceding four goals, we have to be better on the defensive side.

"It was just not good enough, we conceded a goal in the first minute of the game and then just before half-time, that was always going to affect us."

Newport now turn their attention to a first home league game of the season against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, with Jardim highlighting the important of his side "getting the basics right".

"We've got days to play with, we have time to reinforce what we want to achieve here," Jardim added.

"The squad is good, the boys want to get it right and I must praise them for that, we can see they're all making a big effort to adapt to this style.

"Sometimes it's not about the shape of the team, sometimes it's about getting the basics right, we need to do that.

"I've spoken to the boys in the dressing room, they're all willing, they want to come back over the next three days and get these areas of our game sorted."

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Newport County could be without new striker Hamzad Kargbo for more than a month because of a shoulder injury suffered in the opening League Two defeat at Cheltenham Town.

The 6ft 4in former Queens Park Rangers centre-forward, who was only signed last week after impressing on trial, made his debut off the bench on Saturday in the 85th minute - but lasted just four minutes before being injured.

Exiles boss Nelson Jardim confirmed after the game that the 22-year-old had dislocated his shoulder. A typical recovery time for that kind of injury is four to six weeks, but could be anything up to 16 weeks to return to sporting action.

"I was told it is a dislocated shoulder, so I don't know how long that's going to take," Jardim said.

"Again, we were so unlucky losing him for that last five minutes because he had a good impact on the game, we felt we could go for the win and actually he came off, that affected us and unfortunately we came out of the game with nothing.

"Obviously we know there's a long way to go, we are not happy with everything we've done (against Cheltenham).

"We know there's still more to come... and (the game) gave us good indications for the future."

After their opening League Two disappointment, Newport have a chance to bounce back on Tuesday night in the EFL Cup first round away to League One side Leyton Orient.

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Boss Nelson Jardim is set to make changes as Newport County look to bounce back from their opening-day defeat at Cheltenham Town.

Jardim, who took charge in the summer, knows the League Two club have a fine recent cup record to emulate as they travel for a tough first round Carabao Cup tie at League One Leyton Orient on Tuesday.

Under Mike Flynn, Newport became famous for their cup exploits.

And under Graham Coughlan last season, the Exiles beat Charlton in round one of the EFL Cup before a rousing display in the next round when they were only beaten on penalties by Premier League side Brentford.

Jardim said: “We have to keep our record as much as we can. I prepare game by game and I just make sure I am in a position to win every game.

“So with cup games we will make sure we are there to compete and win the game.”

Jardim wants Newport to quickly shrug off their 3-2 defeat to Cheltenham in what was the Portuguese coach’s first game at the helm.

Cardiff loanee Joel Colwill capped his Cheltenham debut by netting the winner – and his second of the match – in the sixth minute of added time.

Jardim says the players must “learn” from a painful defeat, though changes will be made for the trip to Orient.

“We will have to assess the squad, but that is something we will be looking for - a chance to see other players who did not have the chance to play [against Cheltenham]," Jardim added.

“We will have the chance to see how they will react and perform.”

Orient will also be licking their wounds after a 2-1 home defeat to Bolton Wanderers in their League One opener.

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Former Cardiff City defender Jason Perry says Newport County's performance in their season opener at Cheltenham was one all too familiar to last season.

Joel Colwill scored a 96th minute winner to claim a 3-2 victory for the Robins.

"I expected Newport to come out and dominate possession, to keep the ball and at the least be composed, it was no different to what I was watching last year," Perry told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

"Newport didn't look ready for the season, very sloppy in possession and not tight enough defensively, the same old problems we've seen before.

"I was disappointed in their performance, County have got a lot more to do on the training ground.

"I do get concerned with Newport and how young they are, if they don't get that win, if they don't get that point, it becomes harder to get to that performance in terms of possession."

However, Perry did praise the impact of one of the summer signings.

"Bobby Kamwa was outstanding, he was the one player who I felt was at the races today, he was at the level needed.

"He was running at Cheltenham defenders, causing them problems with an end product, he's big, he's strong and he's direct. He had a great game today."

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Jobi McAnuff believes a promising start to the League Two season could be key for Newport County as they begin a new era under Nelson Jardim.

Former Swansea City coach Jardim has replaced Graham Coughlan as Exiles boss in the wake of their 18th-place finish last season.

There has been an overhaul of the playing squad, with 13 new faces brought in, with Jardim given the task of introducing a more possession-based playing style by chairman Huw Jenkins, his old boss at Swansea.

“Newport are a club that I'm keeping a close eye on this season because I think there is a lot of uncertainty, a lot of moving parts, and I'm really interested to see how they get on,” said EFL pundit McAnuff.

“I think their start’s going to be really important. If they don't start well, it's very easy to get dragged into what could be a dogfight when you're trying to play the type of football that clearly Huw Jenkins wants them to play.”

McAnuff is expecting “Swansea mark II” at Newport, with Jenkins trying to emulate the rise he oversaw in his time as Swans chairman.

“He has obviously gone back to somebody he knows well in in Jardim, who he worked with at Swansea,” McAnuff said.

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“I think the timing of things this summer is what raised a few questions for me. It took a little bit longer than I would have liked [to make the managerial change] if you were going to be done with Graham Coughlan and say ‘that era is over, we need to move on to the next one’.

“Then Jardim came in initially as a coach, then he was named head coach, so has he had enough time to really get those ideas across?”

Newport’s cause has not been helped by the loss of Will Evans, who has joined League One Mansfield after starring at Rodney Parade last season.

McAnuff believes the striker’s exit could have a “massive” impact on Jardim’s new-look side, who begin the season at Cheltenham Town on Saturday.

“He was a real incredible source of goals and had an outstanding season last year,” McAnuff added.

“Sometimes when you're not at your best, which I think is going to be the case early on for Newport while they are bedding all this down, you need someone who can just stick the ball in the back of the net. So I think he'll be a huge loss.”

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Will Evans celebrated his first appearance in a Mansfield Town shirt with a goal after issuing heartfelt message of thanks to Newport County and their fans.

Former Bala Town striker Evans joined the League One Stags on a two-year deal on Tuesday in a deal worth more than £200,000.

Within hours of putting pen to paper, Evans netted in a half-hour appearance against Matlock Town in a pre-season friendly which Mansfield won 3-0.

Llangedwyn-born Evans also issued a message of thanks to the Newport fans after what he described as the “best two years”.

The Wales C striker, who scored 25 goals last season, said: “I would like to say a massive thank you to the fans.

“From turning out at Rodney Parade week in, week out to the long away trips across the country. It really didn’t go unseen.

“It was a decision which wasn’t made lightly, as I’ve created memories that will live with me forever.

“You accepted me from game one and all the way through to the end of last season, I truly mean it when I say you hold a special place in my heart.”

Evans, who scored an FA Cup goal against eventual winners Manchester United last January, thanked his former teammates for helping to create “some of the greatest moments” of his life.

He said: “I genuinely couldn’t have done it without you. I have met people within the club who I’ll class as friends for life.

“The club gave me an opportunity two years ago and I can easily say it’s been the best two years. For now it’s time to say goodbye, to undertake a new challenge, one that I personally couldn’t turn down.

“I gave everything for Newport County and I hope you felt I did as well.

“I wish nothing but success for the club in the upcoming season and the forthcoming years.”

Newport kick off their League Two campaign away to Cheltenham Town on Saturday.

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Nelson Jardim says Newport County must quickly “move on” after losing star striker Will Evans on the eve of the new League Two season.

Jardim, who was named Newport head coach in July, must do without last season’s 25-goal leading scorer after he joined League One new boys Mansfield in a deal worth up to £200,000.

The Exiles start the new campaign with a trip to Cheltenham Town on Saturday.

"We’re not just losing a goalscorer, but also a great person," Jardim told BBC Radio Wales.

"I’ve been lucky enough to get to know him over these past four weeks, he’s an excellent boy with good character.

“He’s going to be a huge loss for us, but we must be ready and move on.”